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South of France-Venice-Florence-Rome

My husband and I are planning a trip to Europe from July 6-July 21, give or take. Originally, we were just going to do Italy, but I am wondering if we can squeeze in 4-5 days in the south of France. I was thinking July 6-11 in France, 11-14 in Venice (we are meeting people and must be in Venice on the 13th), 14-18 in Florence, 18-21 in Rome. Are we trying to do too much in too short a time period? Where do you recommend we spend our time in south of France?

I think you have a great itinerary and I would do it in a heart beat. I would start in Nice, France and do day trips from there to Cannes, Antibes, and perhaps Villfranche. You could venture into the hills of Provence away from the sea and visit St Paul de Vence which is an beautifully preserved medieval village overlooking the hills by the Mediterranian.

From Nice you could fly directly to Venice on discount carrier (http://www.flybaboo.com) then take a train to Florence, and then continue on to Rome and fly out of it. Sounds like such an exciting trip!!

have you been to france or especially Italy before? I ask because with that itinerary, you risk a bad dose of cultural overload, and by the time you get to rome, you won't want to see another Titian or Tinteretto, ever!

and have you booked your flights yet? with that itinerary, you ought to be looking at "open-jaw" rather than simple return tickets.

Personally, I would be rather less ambitious, and just go for 3 places - the south of france [you are clearly drawn to it, which is as good a reason to go as any], Venice, because it's wonderful and you are meeting people there, and then a stay on an italian lake to round off the trip [florence and Rome will be VERY hot in July].

You might not even like art, and I would be damned if I would look at Titians in Nice, Florence or Rome. If you like art, you will find a vast variety of styles, periods and artists, although the subject matter in Italy can seem somewhat limited.

You may or may not tolerate hot weather well.

These are all questions only you can answer, but I don't think your itinerary seems bad at all.

I might not consider Nice as perfect, because you have three other cities. Perhaps a smaller town nearby would suit better and maybe somewhere with a pool.

Neither of us have been to any of these places. While we do want to see the sights, we also want to relax and passively soak in the culture and surroundings. I would love to spend some time by the water, especially because it can be so hot in July.

Way back in my history, I had thought of going to the French Riviera, and a good base was suggested. You would probably have to search a lot; I don't have a bookmark for that, but if you would like, I will search for it for you.

The more you move around the more it costs - plus you end up seeing less because of all the checking in/out, and traveling.

Think in terms of 'nights' instead of days. One night in a city/location does not net you a full day there.

What you are considering is this:

July 6-10 in France,
11-13 in Venice
14-17 in Florence
18-21 in Rome

After you subtract the 6th for travel/getting over jetlag, the 21st for packing/travel home, and 1/2 a day at least lost to travel each time you move -- will you be happy w/ 4 days free in France, 2.5 days in Venice, 3.5 days in Florence, and 2.5 days in Rome?

That is up to you -- I'd personally want some more time in Venice and especially in Rome.